Confessions from My Cozinha

Picture this: towering stacks of pristine cookbooks, their spines promising to reveal untold culinary secrets, mocking me from the bookshelves in my home office. Sound familiar?

Along with helping families relocate to Portugal through my real estate consulting work, I’ve discovered something magical about this country – it doesn’t just change where you live, it transforms how you live. Suddenly, I had something I’d forgotten existed: time. Time to remember that I am actually a Michelin starred chef (in my imagination) inside of a real estate guru’s body. 🙂

Some of my fondest memories are food-centered. Me watching my grandmother peel sweet potatoes to make my favorite dish, candied yams. My great-uncles barbecuing venison at a family cookout, with the smoke and aroma finding me as I played in the grass with my cousins. My mother making her addictive honey glazed chicken wings which would have me licking the succulent sweet sauce from my fingers. These weren’t just family meals, they were love letters, written with stirring spoons and spices. Food is the universal language that unites us all. I am most happy when I am in my kitchen, arranging flowers, and tablescaping to prepare to shower my guests with edible love letters on plates of my own.

Fast-forward to my life here in Portugal, where I have been forced to confront my criminal behavior. The crime? Cookbook hoarding on a massive scale. Beautiful, inspiring, utterly untouched cookbooks that whisper promises of gastronomic glory while gathering dust like expensive paperweights.

The breaking point came during a particularly honest moment of self-reflection (sangria may have been involved). Here I was, surrounded by hundreds of recipes for happiness, yet cooking the same dishes on repeat. The irony was delicious – and completely unacceptable.

So I’m throwing down the gauntlet – to myself and to you. Welcome to Christie’s Cookbook Chronicles , where every single one of these beautiful books will finally get its moment to shine. From Portuguese comfort food to exotic international cuisine, from simple weeknight solutions to show-stopping dinner party centerpieces. You can find it all here.

This isn’t just about recipes; it’s about the stories they tell, the memories they create, and the way food becomes the universal language that turns strangers into friends around a Portuguese table set with fresh flowers and candlelight.

Whether you’re a fellow cookbook collector seeking redemption, a passionate home cook looking for inspiration, or someone who simply believes that life’s best moments happen around a well-set table, this adventure is for you.

Let’s turn those kitchen dreams into reality – one recipe, one meal, one unforgettable evening at a time. Should you ever find yourself in Portugal and want to taste the fruits of my efforts, be sure to book a meal of a lifetime with me for Dinner at the Villa.

Vamos cozinhar! (Let’s cook!)